R.I. House Speaker: No changes to voter ID law this session

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Revising the state's voter identification law will have to wait another year, after House Speaker Gordon D. Fox called off a scheduled House vote on proposed legislation Wednesday.

Philip Marcelo

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Revising the state's voter identification law will have to wait another year, after House Speaker Gordon D. Fox called off a scheduled House vote on proposed legislation Wednesday.

The bill that had been before the House proposed eliminating a new requirement set to take effect for the 2014 election: showing a valid picture identification before voting.

Currently, Rhode Islanders must show an ID at the polls, but, starting next year, that ID must have a picture on it.

Community groups, including the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union, have complained that the requirement would disenfranchise elderly, minority and low income voters.

Fox, in his bid for re-election last year, had said addressing the concerns was a priority this session. But the proposal meant to do so, introduced by state Rep. Larry Valencia, D-Richmond, had faced its own criticism.

The ACLU has said the proposal, as currently worded, would eliminate many forms of ID currently accepted at the polls, such as utility bills, bank statements, student IDs and insurance cards.

Fox spokesman Larry Berman said Wednesday that House leaders need more time to work on the proposal. The chamber already called off a vote on the bill last week to try and address the ACLU's concerns.

Berman said the General Assembly will still be able to address changes to the law in time for the 2014 election if it waits until the next legislative session, which starts in January.